2025 CLE Speakers & Agenda

Tuesday, September 30th

8:30-9:30 AM: Candace McCown & Jennifer Donaldson (JLAP) – Dimensions of Attorney Wellbeing from an Individual and Team Perspective

9:30 AM-10:30 AM: Abtin Mehdizadegan – Employment Law: 2025 Hot Topics

10:30-10:40 AM: Break

10:40-11:40 AM: Nate Coulter – Obscenity/Pornography in the Library

11:40 AM-12:40 PM: Stephanie Vardaman & Dr. Riva Brown – Lunch & Learn Red Cross International Humanitarian Law

12:40-12:50 PM: Break 

12:50-1:50 PM: Judge Melanie Martin, Judge Tjuana Byrd Manning, & Judge Cathi Compton – Judges Panel

1:50-2:50 PM: Christy Bjornson – Ethics Hour

2:50-3:00 PM: Break

3:00-4:00 PM: Jenna Adams – Police Response to Mental Health Crises

4:00-5:00 PM: David Slade – Continuing Trends in Enforcement Actions for Child-specific Platforms: From AI to CSAM

Wednesday, October 1st 

8:30-9:30 AM: Jillian Wilson – Running Your Law Firm Like a Business 

9:30 AM-10:30 AM: Meredith Lowry & Devin Bates – AI & Ethics

10:30-10:40 AM: Break

10:40-11:40 AM: Charlie Cunningham – Divorce & Mediation

11:40 AM-12:40 PM: Shelly Joyner – This Ain’t Your Granny’s Estate Plan (Drafting Considerations for the Modern World)

12:40-1:20 PM: Lunch

1:20-2:20 PM: Robbie Wilson – Real Estate & Title 

2:20-3:20 PM: Seth Hampton – Renewable Energy Lease Negotiations

3:20-3:30 PM: Break

3:30-4:30 PM: Cliff McKinney – 2025 General Assembly Real Estate Update

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Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, Jenna holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Arkansas State University in Political Science and Spanish. She also has a Master of Arts degree from Arkansas State University in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations and Comparative Politics. She graduated cum laude with her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in May 2014. Jenna is admitted to practice law in the State of Arkansas, the U.S. District Court the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Jenna has been with the Arkansas Municipal League as Litigation Counsel since January 2016. Her practice consists of defending Arkansas cities in civil lawsuits on issues of Constitutional Law, Employment Law, and Municipal Law. Jenna’s favorite area of practice though is defending police officers on Section 1983 claims and doing oral arguments at the Eighth Circuit.

Jenna presents and teaches on a variety of topics, including the Fourth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment privacy issues, Qualified Immunity, Avoiding Lawsuits for Municipalities, the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, the Arkansas Whistleblower Act, Sexual Harassment, and the Use of Force.

Jenna currently lives in Sherwood, Arkansas with her two children, 7-year-old son, Jackson, and 4-year-old daughter, Emma.

Devin Bates is a strategic litigator and trusted advisor who successfully represents plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts across Arkansas. As a trial lawyer, he has extensive experience in complex business disputes with a particular emphasis on unfair competition litigation, including trade secrets, non-compete agreements, trademark, and copyright matters. Devin has a proven track record in litigating high-profile and bet-the-company matters encompassing issues such as breach of duty, defamation, securities fraud, constitutional claims and conflicts involving governmental agencies and administrative proceedings. He represents clients ranging from publicly traded companies to small businesses to individual investors, corporate directors and celebrities.  Leveraging his diverse background in litigation, Devin remains at the forefront of emerging technologies in the legal landscape, regularly speaking and writing thought leadership on the ethics, risks and best practices associated with the use of generative AI platforms. Prior to joining the firm, Devin served as a law clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes, III.

Christy Bjornson was named chief of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division in October 2023 and of the Tobacco Control Division in February 2024. She previously was an attorney supervisor in the Office of Field Audit of the state Department of Finance & Administration. She also served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District.

Bjornson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and her law degree from the Bowen School of Law in Little Rock.

Dr. Riva Brown brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a deep commitment to humanitarian service as the Executive Director of the Greater Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross, a role she officially assumed on Monday, January 27, 2025. Her journey with the organization began in 2023 when she deployed to Guam to provide disaster relief following Typhoon Mawar. After her deployment, she joined the local board and was honored with the 2024 Outstanding New Board Member Award for her significant contributions. In addition to her service with the Red Cross, Dr. Brown’s global humanitarian efforts have taken her to Rwanda, Senegal, and Turkey. She played a pivotal role in leading the first collegiate chapter of the Syrian Emergency Task Force at the University of Central Arkansas and was recognized as the 2024 Winrock International Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer of the Year for her impactful work in Senegal. Her dedication to excellence has earned her UCA’s Public Service Award for Faculty Excellence and the Global Learning Faculty Leader of the Year Award in 2024. Dr. Brown holds a doctoral degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Her academic career includes positions as an Associate Professor of Public Relations, Global Learning Specialist, and Academic Coordinator at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).

As Executive Director, Dr. Brown develops community relationships to ensure the capacity to achieve the regional mission goals. She develops and manages the chapter board to effectively mobilize support and resources around the Red Cross mission and cultivates community volunteer leaders who serve as the face of the Red Cross in assigned territories. Additionally, she supports mission capacity building by developing key community partnerships and recruiting volunteers. Dr. Brown influences teamwork and inclusion to effectively deliver against the Red Cross mission and serves as a member of the Elected Officials Liaison Network to support disaster responses nationwide. She collaborates with the Red Cross on volunteer recruitment and engagement, the disaster cycle (prepare, respond, recover), Service to the Armed Forces, Training Services, and Biomedical Services as determined by the region. Furthermore, she conveys information and fosters increased awareness across the community of the full extent of Red Cross service delivery, deepening connectivity and commitment to the Red Cross as a primary partner, meriting community support. Before transitioning to academia, she worked as a journalist and public relations professional, reporting on topics ranging from higher education to significant events like Hurricane Katrina.

Judge Tjuana C. Byrd Manning has spent her adult life in public service. She is passionate about children, women and girls, the elderly and healthy living. Byrd Manning chairs the Racial Justice Taskforce on assignment of the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families.  Byrd Manning is also a member of the Arkansas Commission on Juvenile Justice and a member of the Arkansas Continuing Legal Education Board.

Byrd is serving in her fifth year as Pulaski County Circuit Judge Division 8. Byrd was previously in private practice in North Little Rock where her primary focus was juvenile matters. She served as an Assistant City Attorney for North Little Rock (handling HR and truancy matters), the Sherwood Public Defender, and an attorney ad litem representing children in foster care.

She is a life member of the NAACP, and is actively involved in the North Little Rock Chapter and a life member of the UA Little Rock Alumni Association.  An active member of St. Mark Baptist Church, she serves as a large group leader/storyteller in children’s church and a Director for the Watson Primary Ensemble choir for children ages 3-11. In addition to the community and church activities in which she is involved, she enjoys travel, exercise and fitness, outdoor activities, and attending and watching sports events.

A graduate of Lonoke High School, Byrd received a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the UALR School of Law in 1996.

She is married to the love of her life, Michael Manning and gained two sons, twins Owen and Nicholas, who have truly captured her heart.

Cathleen V. (“Cathi”) Compton is 6th District, 3rd Division Circuit Judge, serving Pulaski and Perry Counties. She practiced law from 1985 until her election in 2014, first in El Dorado, and later in Little Rock. She obtained her B.A., her M.A., and her J.D. from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Her most proud accomplishments are her daughters, Maggie Benson of Fayetteville, and Whitley Hobbs of Little Rock.

Nate Coulter is a native of Nashville, Arkansas. He graduated from college and law school at Harvard University, then later earned a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. In March 2016, Coulter became the Executive Director of the Central Arkansas Library System. CALS has 15 libraries, an annual operating budget of approximately $28 million, and more than 300 employees. Nate is married to Nathalie, who is an assistant principal at Roberts Elementary School in Little Rock. They have four adult children, one grandson and their rescue pup, Theo.

Charlie is a founding partner at AR Law Partners.

He was born and raised in Little Rock where he attended Little Rock Central High School. After attending college and law school at the University of Arkansas, he returned home to Little Rock where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their dog and cat, Harriet and Madonna.

Before entering private practice, he worked under Hon. Waymond Brown at the Arkansas Court of Appeals and as an attorney for the Arkansas Department of Human Services in dependency neglect, adult protective services, and child protective services cases.

At ARlaw Partners, he has centered his practice around those same areas of law involving DHS in addition to family law, education law, and appeals. He has argued in forty-six of the seventy-five counties in Arkansas and has been recognized for his achievements in publications including Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, AY Magazine, and Little Rock Soiree.

When he isn’t helping his clients throughout the state, Charlie enjoys day dreaming of future, less likely careers such as famous chef or professional disc golfer.

Jennifer Donaldson is a Licensed Certified Social Worker and serves as the Executive Director of the Arkansas Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP). Jennifer is a native of Monticello, AR where she received her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology while attending the University of AR at Monticello. She graduated with a Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a focus on Advanced Direct Practice.

Jennifer has worked in various realms of social work including clinical mental health with individuals, families, and groups, program development, enhancement and quality assurance, and advocacy work within the juvenile justice system. She has served as the Program Director for SMI Adult Day Treatment Services as well as the Director of the Geriatric Intensive Outpatient Department in Monticello before moving to Little Rock.

Prior to working with JLAP, she provided contract mental health services to JLAP clients through her private practice. Jennifer specializes in the mental health effects of trauma, organizational wellbeing, and program development & administration. Jennifer is clinically trained in evidence-based therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Jennifer is a Certified Master WRAW (Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing) Practitioner which allows her to assess and implement macro level strategies for organizational resilience and wellbeing as well as personalized wellbeing for individuals and groups. As JLAP Executive Director, she oversees operational quality and implementation of services statewide while seeking opportunities for program growth and expansion. Jennifer looks forward to continuing Arkansas JLAP’s approach to overall wellbeing within the legal community while maintaining the provision of vital clinical mental health services to judges, attorneys, and law students.

R. Seth Hampton joined Rose Law Firm in 2024. His practice primarily focuses on real estate, agriculture, commercial finance, and environmental compliance. He is recognized in the 2023 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas of Banking and Finance Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, and Real Estate Law.

Seth regularly represents clients in conveying and exchanging real property and real-property interests, such as easements, purchase options, and rights of refusal; preparing and negotiating lease agreements for agricultural, recreational and commercial properties; resolving title issues and boundary disputes; and developing agricultural, recreational and commercial properties. His experience also includes advising clients on matters concerning water rights and irrigation permitting, and compliance issues involving environmental, wetlands and land use regulations.

Agribusiness transactional and regulatory matters in which he has been involved include acquisitions and dispositions of agricultural properties and major asset portfolios in Arkansas and surrounding states; advising producers and landowners on compliance issues with state-specific agricultural, land-use and environmental laws and regulations, and laws and regulations promulgated by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service and other USDA agencies; negotiating and preparing production contracts, service and supplier contracts, custom farming agreements and leases for agricultural, recreational and commercial properties; transfers and assignments of agricultural and conservation easements and contracts, water and irrigation rights, and other governmental entitlements; and advising landowners and producers on matters concerning water rights, irrigation permitting and wetlands and environmental compliance. Additionally, Seth represents both lenders and borrowers with risk management aspects of agricultural lending, including matters concerning collateral securitization and loan documentation, and negotiating workouts and forbearance agreements involving agriculture loans.

Seth is a member of the American Agricultural Law Association, American Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association and Pulaski County Bar Association. He is a frequent speaker to title, banking, land management, real estate brokerage and other agribusiness industry groups on topics concerning legal issues applicable to real estate transactions and due diligence involving agricultural, commercial and recreational properties; identifying and resolving title and survey issues unique to agricultural and rural properties; transfers of agricultural and conservation contracts and easements, irrigation permits and water rights; compliance issues with environmental, wetlands and land use regulations; and agricultural finance and lending laws.

Seth hails from Monroe County, Arkansas, where his extensive knowledge of the agricultural industry began with his involvement in his family’s farming operation. His involvement with his family’s operation led him to attend Arkansas State University where he earned a B.S.A. in Agricultural Business, was a member of the Delta Tau Alpha Agricultural Honors Society, the Collegiate Farm Bureau Club, the Agricultural Business Club, and the Delta Theta Chapter of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. Following graduation, Mr. Hampton served as Congressman Berry’s District Representative and Liaison for southern counties comprising Arkansas’s First Congressional District.

Mr. Hampton obtained his J.D., with honors, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he was a member of the Arkansas Real Estate Review. While obtaining his law degree, Mr. Hampton also served as a student law clerk to the Honorable J. Thomas Ray, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Following graduation, Mr. Hampton served as a staff attorney to the Honorable Billy Roy Wilson, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas before joining another reputable Arkansas law firm.

Mr. Hampton is licensed to practice in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Shelly C. Joyner earned her bachelor’s degree in general studies from Dowling College. She earned her juris doctorate from UNT Dallas College of Law where she was active in advocacy activities, student government, and other student organizations. She was the school’s representative to the American Bar Association.  Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Shelly is a “second career” lawyer after 17 years at an air freight shipping company in various positions including as a load master and Account Operations Manager. She chose to go to law school after she found herself studying law for fun as a way to unwind after a tough night on the tarmac.

​After graduation, she worked for a boutique estate planning law firm where she’d worked as a clerk during law school. There, she was able to use her contingency planning background to create custom estate plans and business formation strategies for clients. She practiced primarily in the Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton County statutory probate courts, but handled cases in counties all over Texas. She has significant experience in teaching multiple aspects of the law for the general public and to students. She had a regular lecture series on Constitutional Law at a retirement community in the DFW area. She greatly enjoys judging and coaching students in their legal advocacy studies. She has handled multiple civil law cases including fraud, defamation, quiet title, and landlord tenant actions.

​Shelly is a Rotarian as well as a proud and active member of Attorneys Serving the Community. She is the recipient of the 2021 Texas Bar College Steven Condos Award for Outstanding New Member to the College. She is a member of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, UNT Alumni Association, and is a board member of Denton City Contemporary Ballet.  Her primary residence is now in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas near her family, but has a secondary home in Dimmitt.

Meredith Lowry is a partner and registered patent attorney at Wright Lindsey Jennings, where her practice focuses on acquisition and licensing of various aspects of intellectual property rights for companies working in the retail space. From the products on the shelf, the packages they go in, and the platforms they’re sold on, Meredith advises businesses on intellectual property concerns and data privacy and security matters.

Meredith is a frequent speaker in the tech and startup space on topics such as intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and women’s entrepreneurship. Meredith spearheaded the firm’s Woman-Run initiative to support woman- and minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through networking, mentorship, education and resources. Meredith was recently appointed chair of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force of the Arkansas Bar Association, which will develop recommendations and resources for AI use in the legal profession.

Judge Melanie Martin is the Circuit Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit-Seventh Division. She assumed that office on January 1, 2025, after serving six years as the Little Rock District Court Criminal Judge. She was elected Circuit Judge without opposition in 2024. Judge Martin was elected District Judge in 2018 in a special countywide election for an unexpired term. In 2020, she was re-elected without opposition to a new four-year term beginning on January 1, 2021. Both as a District Judge and now as a Circuit Judge, her jurisdiction includes both Pulaski and Perry Counties.

Judge Martin graduated from UALR Bowen School of Law in 1992 and became a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit upon her admission to the Arkansas Bar. She has extensive bench and jury trial experience in general, juvenile, drug, domestic violence/sexual assault, gangs, major crimes, and homicide/capital cases.

he served as Division Chief of District Courts/Complaints Division, Division Chief of the Drug Division, and Division Chief of various general Circuit Courts. She was promoted in 2005 to a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney position. As a Senior Deputy Prosecutor, she provided and assisted with staff oversight and policymaking decisions and with the development and implementation of prosecutorial policies and procedures. She also supervised the office’s training programs. She served as a representative to the United States Department of Justice’s Violence Reduction Network — a partnership with the Little Rock Police Department which sought to reduce violent crimes in all areas of the City. She also served as a Peer Reviewer for the United States Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Judge Martin has been an Adjunct Professor at UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law, teaching Lawyering Skills and Trial Advocacy. She has served as President of the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Pulaski County Bar Foundation, the Judge William R. Overton Inn of Court, and the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law Alumni Board. She is a board member and a Master of the Bench of the Judge William R. Overton Inn of Court, a board member of the Pulaski County Bar Foundation and a board member of UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law Alumni Board. She is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Pulaski County Bar Foundation, and the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers. She was a member of Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXII. Judge Martin also currently serves on the City of Little Rock H.O.P.E. Advisory Council, the Pulaski County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, and the Arkansas District Judges Council Legislative Committee. She was the Arkansas District Judges Council representative to the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) Supervisory Board. The Arkansas Supreme Court has appointed her to its Committee on Automation.

As a Circuit Judge, Judge Martin presides over both jury and non-jury trials in felony cases, as well as appeals of misdemeanor convictions. As Little Rock District Court Criminal Judge, Judge Martin oversaw a staff of 23 and presided over the largest district court criminal docket in the State of Arkansas. The Court, in session five days a week, averaged 6000 new criminal cases annually during her tenure. The court handles both misdemeanor cases and daily felony arraignments. Judge Martin also reviewed all affidavits and approved the issuance of search warrants and arrest warrants. In addition, as a District Judge, Judge Martin presided over various civil cases upon referral from the circuit courts.

In August 2019, Judge Martin implemented a pilot specialty court, the Pulaski County Mental Health Court, after obtaining approval and designation as such by the Arkansas Supreme Court. The Mental Health Court works with a team of community stakeholders in order to provide mental health services to defendants at the misdemeanor level. The court now also has been approved by the Arkansas Supreme Court to operate a pilot program that screens and releases qualified inmates to pre-trial substance abuse treatment. Judge Martin has also conducted Leniency Courts, which give options to citizens with outstanding fines and warrants for failure to appear or failure to comply. During her tenure, Little Rock District Court became an eFiling court. The Court also implemented a daily text notification system, alerting parties by way of text or email notifications regarding court appearances. Judge Martin also revised policies of access to court records to make the business of the court more easily accessible to the public. The Court remained open and accessible to the public during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. When in-person trials resumed, the Court maintained and kept its trial docket current.

A native of Mountain Home (Baxter County), Judge Martin graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1989. She is a longtime resident of Little Rock and is a member of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church. Judge Martin has been named Pulaski County District Judge of the year by the Pulaski County Bar Association twice during her tenure.

Candace McCown is a Licensed Master Social Worker and is the Arkansas Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Assistant Director. She serves the clients as a clinician, performs client assessments, manages health monitoring clients, and focuses on wellbeing and mental health education. With experience working in non-profit, for-profit, and governmental agencies in both micro and macro social work positions, she is well-rounded to work within the JLAP network and assist the program across the board.

A native of Arkansas, she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Harding University and earned her MSW at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a focus on management and community practice. As a clinician, she is trained in several specialty modalities: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy). When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going on walks, and crafting.

Cliff McKinney is a transactional attorney at Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC.  His primary practice is real estate law and business and regulatory matters related to real estate.  A Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Mr. McKinney is listed with The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Real Estate Law and Land Use and Zoning Law, is recognized by Chambers USA’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Real Estate and selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer in the area of Real Estate by Super Lawyers.  He was named the Little Rock Lawyer of the Year – Land Use and Zoning Law by Best Lawyers® in 2020 and 2022 and is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell.  Mr. McKinney has served as lead counsel on dozens of multi-million dollar transactions throughout the mid-South region.  His projects include one of the largest real estate transactions in the corporate history of a major global retailer.  He also represents restaurant owners, including franchisees of national chains.

In addition to working on the transactional aspects of a project, Mr. McKinney assists clients with financing, business organization, environmental and land use issues.  His practice includes guiding clients through the regulatory process, including obtaining zoning changes and other governmental approvals.  He has extensive experience assisting clients in obtaining appropriate business licenses and approvals, such as alcohol permits and franchise agreements.  He also assists clients with permitting issues related to the Clean Water Act (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permits), the National Historic Preservation Act (e.g., Section 106 compliance) and the National Flood Insurance Act (e.g., letters of map revision).

Mr. McKinney also has experience dealing with real estate-related litigation matters, including adverse possession, boundary by acquiescence, prescriptive easements, quiet title, eviction, foreclosure and restrictive covenant disputes, among others.  Mr. McKinney has also been active in the legislative process, including serving on the Arkansas Bar Association’s Jurisprudence and Law Reform and Legislation Committees.  He has testified before the Arkansas General Assembly on many occasions and been involved in drafting and vetting real estate-related legislation.

Mr. McKinney is currently serving his sixth term as Chair of the Real Estate Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association.  In that capacity, he spearheaded the creation of the Arkansas Real Estate Review and currently serves as one of its editors.  Mr. McKinney was the first attorney in the State of Arkansas to obtain the status of LEED® Accredited Professional, which affords him the unique ability to assist clients with environmentally-friendly green building projects.  Mr. McKinney served as the U.S. Green Building Council Arkansas Chapter’s Secretary and Treasurer and served on the Arkansas General Assembly’s Legislative Task Force on Sustainable Building Design and Practices.  He also serves on the state’s Old State House Commission.

Mr. McKinney is also involved in the academic side of real estate law.  Mr. McKinney is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he teaches Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Transaction Skills.  He has written a number of law review articles on real estate topics, including implied covenants, deed drafting, boundary by acquiescence, adverse possession and landlord/tenant rights. He chaired the committee for the third edition of the Standards for Examination of Real Estate Titles in Arkansas and authored the Arkansas chapter for an American Bar Association book on institutional land use controls.

Mr. McKinney attended the University of Arkansas where he obtained his Juris Doctor (cum laude) and Master of Public Administration degrees.  His focus on real estate began while he was a student at Southern Methodist University earning a Master of Laws degree emphasizing real estate.  Prior to law school, Mr. McKinney was a National Merit Scholar at Baylor University.  He is licensed to practice law in Arkansas (2002, highest score), Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, and he uses his licenses and experience in these states to assist clients in cross-border transactions.

Mr. McKinney is President of the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas.  He served as Board Chair of Arkansas Rice Depot from 2008-2009 and remained active in the organization through 2015 when he served on the merger committee that resulted in Arkansas Rice Depot merging with Arkansas Foodbank to form the largest hunger relief agency in the state.  Mr. McKinney now serves on the board of Arkansas Foodbank.  Mr. McKinney chaired the Arkansas Bar Association 2011 Annual Meeting and the 2015 Mid-Year Meeting.  He currently serves on the Arkansas Bar Association’s Board of Trustees and is a tenured member of the House of Delegates.

Education

Southern Methodist University (LL.M., emphasizing Real Estate Financing, 2003)

University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2002)

University of Arkansas (M.P.A., 2002)

Baylor University (B.A., 1999)

Associations and Affiliations

Fellow, American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Arkansas Bar Association [Chair, Real Estate Law Section 2006-2010, 2015-Present; Board of Trustees 2021-2024; Member Board of Governors 2015-2020; Chair, Business Law Section 2015-2016; House of Delegates 2012-2015 (tenured)]

American Bar Association

Pulaski County Bar Association

Commission on Uniform State Laws (2017-2025)

State Bar of Texas

ICSC, Innovating Commerce Serving Communities

Christian Legal Society

Abtin Mehdizadegan is a Partner in Hall Booth Smith, P.C.’s Little Rock, Arkansas office and represents employers in traditional labor and employment law matters. He has extensive experience defending businesses in high-stakes class and collective action lawsuits, employment and wage and hour lawsuits, labor grievance and arbitration proceedings, individual and systemic proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), federal wage and hour audits involving the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL/WHD), unemployment appeals, business disputes, products liability defense, and constitutional law litigation. He has successfully handled appeals before the Supreme Court of Arkansas and the Fifth and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeal; dozens of lawsuits at the district court level; and he serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching Employment Law at the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law.

Clients routinely engage Abtin to conduct comprehensive employment law counseling and training to their workforces; to develop policies and handbooks; and to assist businesses with matters pertaining to affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Abtin’s clients are leaders in a range of industries across the private, public, and non-profit sectors, including healthcare, surface and air transportation, cybersecurity, banking and FINRA-regulated industries, agriculture, retail, higher education, and insurance. He is particularly capable in handling matters involving sophisticated technologies given his prior experience for a leading computer and software manufacturer.

In addition to his trial and appellate work, Abtin’s daily practice revolves significantly around providing advice and counsel to Boards of Directors, C-Suite Executives, HR Leaders, and In-House Counsel on a broad range of employment issues providing practical problem-solving solutions. Additionally, he is an experienced and effective workplace investigator, and he regularly conducts outside investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or other sensitive issues. He similarly provides advice and counsel regarding compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII and Title IX, the Equal Pay Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ (OFCCP) regulations pertaining to government contractors and subcontractors.

Given his commitment to excellence in the practice of law, Abtin was honored to receive the Friend of SBS Award (2023) for his successful handling of high-stakes litigation; the Spirit of Maine Achievement Award (2019) from the University of Maine, his alma mater, for his professional accomplishments; and the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award (2017) from the Center for Arkansas Legal Services for his successful Supreme Court litigation that established important constitutional protections in child guardianship proceedings for domestic violence survivors. Abtin’s accomplishments have also been recognized for several years by the Mid-South Super Lawyers for his dedication to employment law; Arkansas Business magazine as a member of its class of 20 in their 20s, the New Influentials; by HR Professionals magazine as a Rising Star in Employment Law; and by Arkansas Life magazine in its Top Attorneys feature.

Throughout this period, his interest in the law was nurtured by a side job as a trial assistant in the hormone therapy litigation, In re: Prempro Products Liability Litigation, Case No. MDL 1507. Following his work with the Prempro MDL, David attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. While there, he co-founded the Arkansas Journal of Social Change and Public Service (along with Brandon Haubert), an online, interdisciplinary publication for which he served as Editor-in-Chief. He oversaw the Journal’s inaugural symposium, as well as a variety of community engagement efforts. In its first year, the Journal published submissions from authors throughout the world.

At WH Law, David’s principal focus is on consumer protection, with an emphasis on data privacy, data security, antitrust, and antitrust-adjacent areas in the tech space. Extending his advocacy beyond litigation, he also organized a cyber safety training summit for Arkansas law enforcement and victim assistance professionals, in conjunction with the National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA) and also has established multiple coordinated practice groups focused on diluting the preemptive effect of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

David has presented at CLEs and other professional gatherings related to, inter alia, data breach litigation, the professional obligations of local counsel, and changes in the law surrounding Section 230. In addition to his work in the class action context, David is a member of the Volunteers Organization, Center for Arkansas Legal Services (VOCALS), an organization committed to pro bono advocacy, and serves on the board of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS).

Stephanie Vardaman is the SAF/IS Regional Manager with the Missouri-Arkansas Region, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, with a diverse background in military and disaster management. She began her Red Cross career as a volunteer in 2001 at the Scott Air Force Base Service Center She has previously served as the Station Manager at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, a Disaster Specialist in St. Louis, and a Volunteer Senior Recruiter in Arkansas. Arkansas merged with Oklahoma and later Missouri to become the Missouri-Arkansas Region in 2022, and Stephanie became the Senior Recruiting Specialist until April 2022, when she returned to the Service to Armed Forces program as the SAF/IS Regional Manager for the MOAR Region. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, spending time on the lake in the summer, and spoiling her 2-year-old granddaughter.

Jillian Wilson is a Co-Managing Partner and supervising attorney in the Foreclosure Legal Department at Wilson & Associates, P.L.L.C. She received her education from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. (B.A. 2011), the University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D. 2013, Cum Laude), and the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business (M.B.A. 2023). She was admitted to the Arkansas Bar in 2014, the Maryland Bar in 2015, the Mississippi Bar in 2016, and the Tennessee Bar in 2021. She is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, Pulaski County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association and the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers. She is a member of the Young Lawyers’ Section for the Arkansas Bar, the Communication Committee for the Arkansas Bar, and the Young Lawyers’ Division of the Mississippi Bar.

Robbie Wilson received his education from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA (B.A., 2009) and the University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., 2013). He was admitted into the Arkansas Bar in 2013, the Mississippi Bar in 2018, the Tennessee Bar in 2021, and is licensed to practice before the 8th Circuit Court of the United States.

Robbie is the Central Arkansas Representative of the YLS to the Arkansas Bar Association, is a member of the Pulaski County Bar Association and the Judge Henry Woods Inns of Court, and is a board member of the Pulaski County Bar Foundation. He was an honoree of the 2015 Class of Little Rock’s Finest awarded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition to title and closing, his professional experience includes mortgage banking and real estate litigation.

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